It’s never been more important to save money when shopping with Amazon and other big go-to retailers, with the cost of living increase having a knock on effect on our personal finances.
It’s safe to say we’re all feeling the pull of the purse strings of late, thanks in part to gas prices rising, energy bills going up and the cost of First and Second Class stamps increasing. Saving a few pounds here and there might not feel that celebratory when done ad hoc, but long term these £££s really add up. Which is why we need to take advantage of deals and discounts, plus one-off respites like the new council tax rebate that will be welcome money for most.
As is the way with 21st shopping, the majority of us now shop at Amazon – as nine times out of ten they’ve got what you need at a reasonable price. But the fact of the matter is you could be saving even more on your online buys by incorporating these additional deal and coupon benefits Amazon offers customers.
11 ways to save money when shopping with Amazon:
1. Sign up to a Prime membership
It’s a no brainer really. Any regular customer is likely to save money when shopping with Amazon when they become a Prime member. The special club guarentees free and fast delivery, exclusive member-only discounts on select items and early access to Amazon sale events.
You can start by signing up for a free 30-day trial. If satisfied, an annual membership will set you back £79.99. And we’re fairly confident you’ll make the switch due to the delivery savings alone.
Non-Prime members only benefit from free delivery when you spend £20 or more (or £10+ on books). Any orders under this will cost you extra and those £1.99s and £4.99s will soon add up.
We’ve done the maths and 16 orders in 12 months works out roughly the same as the annual membership fee. So if you’re likely to make a few purchases a month it’s definitely a money saver. What’s more, there’s the additional multimedia perks attached to the Prime membership too…
Prime Video is a big pro point for us, giving you access to hundreds of free TV shows and movies. You can stream your favourite romantic films and get your teeth into a new box-set binge like the Amazon Original Nine Perfect Strangers or the Top Gear spin-off The Grand Tour.
Andy Webb of review site Be Clever With Your Cash says this itself is partly why the Prime membership rivals other streaming services. “Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix – even when subscribed for via full Prime rather than on its own and it’s the same price as a year of Disney+.”
What’s more Amazon Music and Prime Reading are included in your annual membership. This allows you and your family to listen to your favourite songs or read new e-books on the go or at home too.
2. Use ‘Subscribe and Save’
Those groceries and cosmetics you’re always using and topping up on month after month? Well there’s a handy way to save money on them when shopping with Amazon, all thanks to Subscribe and Save.
This savvy section of the site collates together your frequent purchases – toiletries, cleaning products, baby items and even cat food. It then offers up to 15% off the original price of these when you schedule repeat deliveries of them.
The good news is that in addition to the extra £££s, it’s flexible too. So you can choose a repeated delivery time frame that suits you. Amazon will additionally check in with you before shipping your products to ensure they’re still required.
“There is no commitment once you subscribe,” reads the Subscribe and Safe information page. “We will send you a reminder email before each delivery showing the items, price and any applicable discount. Skip your deliveries if you have enough already, or cancel your subscriptions at any time.”
3. Subscribe and Save vouchers
Savings on savings. Yes, you read that right. In addition to the 15% off repeated delivery items are exclusive Subscribe and Save vouchers that can be applied on top of the original discount.
These additional vouchers boast extra deals that vary from 5 to 20% off. They’re not all Amazon brand items either, with many of these Subscribe & Save vouchers also applying to well known household names like Finish, Andrex, Listerine and Garnier.
Next time you go to order or check into your repeat delivery subscription be sure to check out the Subscribe & Save Vouchers page first to make the most of your money.
4. Amazon vouchers
Coupons and money-off vouchers are something we all like to collect and cash in when doing the weekly supermarket shop. And luckily for us, Amazon is another retailier that gives back with exclusive money-saving vouchers.
To reap the rewards, check their Amazon Voucher homepage to see the exciting deals. Some are percentage based – with up to 60% off products like clothing, footwear, tech and toiletries. Whilst others specify an amount, e.g. save £3.00.
Applying them to your order couldn’t be easier. Simply select the ‘collect voucher’ button on the deals page and then after you’ve added all your items, head to your basket where the voucher will automatically apply. It’s win win really.
5. Shop Amazon’s Daily Deals
The savings don’t stop with the vouchers. Savvy shoppers who browse the shop everyday can pick up a real bargain through one of Amazon’s Daily Deals. These boast discounts on thousands of different products like books, groceries, personal hygeine products, clothing, electronics and many more.
“Amazon offers two types of one-off deals: “Deals of the Day”, running daily for 24 hours from 00.01am to 11.59pm and “Lightning Deals”, posted as often as every 15 minutes and lasting between two and six hours,” explains MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis.
You can find both of these on the Today’s Deal homepage. And they’ll often highlight how long the offer is available for.
Another clever money-saving hack is to select the ‘Upcoming’ category link on the side-bar of the deal page. This will come up with a hundreds of future deals – some of which might be expensive products you’re wanting to treat yourself to but want to pounce on at the right deal-saving time. It’ll show you the items and when the deals are expected to go live. So make sure you set a reminder to save those £££s.
6. Amazon Warehouse
Save money when shopping pre-owned with Amazon. Be it big name electronics, baby essentials like the best pushchairs or handy kitchen gadgets like slow cookers, the retailer has thousands of refurbished products available to buy online that are like new and significantly cheaper.
The additional good news is that each product up for sale on Amazon Warehouse goes through a rigorous quality control check too. So you know what condition it will be in when it arrives.
“We thoroughly test the functional and physical condition of each item and give the product a specific grade before selling it. We also inspect our products for missing accessories and packaging damage,” they say.
After this testing process, the item will be given one of the following condition categories:
- Used – Like New: Almost perfect working condition. The item is fully functioning and comes with all relevant accessories but may bear some minimal damage.
- Used – Very Good: An item in very good condition will work as it should but could feature some minor cosmetic flaws. “It may arrive with damaged packaging or be repackaged and could be missing some non-essential accessories,” Amazon adds.
- Used – Good: ‘Good’ products will show signs from moderate use previously. There could be some scratches, missing accessories and it might not come in it’s original packaging.
- Used – Acceptable: “An item may have clear signs of usage but still serves its main function,” Amazon states. Expect more visible scratches, dents and a few worn corners. Plus some parts may have been replaced to ensure it works properly again.
When deciding on your refurbished item look out for the category. Further information on why it’s been awarded this label will often be included in the product’s description. So be sure to check and read this to help inform your decision.
7. Amazon Outlet
From refurbished to discontinued and overstocked items now, Amazon Outlet is another sub-section to know about when trying to save money when shopping with Amazon.
“Amazon Outlet is becoming the go-to place for customers to shop for highly discounted markdowns, overstock deals and clearance products,” says the retailer. “Amazon Outlet offers a wide selection of items, such as Car & Motorbike products, electronics, clothing and toys.”
We’ve had a little peruse of the site and found sleek stationary buys, beauty products and some of the best toys for 3-year-olds available at really cheap prices. Perfect when shopping and saving a buck with birthday and christmas presents.
There’s also big name branded items available at the Outlet. We found Beats headphones that were being sold with £50 off their original retail price. Plus our 5-star rated Tommee Tippee baby bottle warmer boasting 29% off.
Check out the Amazon Outlet store for yourself and see what savings you could nab.
8. Save when you choose No-Rush shipping
We can only imagine how many parcels Amazon delivers daily. So if you’re a Prime member and you don’t need your order imminently, why not chose a more flexible delivery option? Not only is it greener but Amazon will reward you for it too.
“No-Rush Shipping helps us prioritize our fastest deliveries for customers with urgent needs,” Amazon states on their No-Rush shipping Q+A page. In return for being more flexible, Amazon will add either an automatic discount to your current order or give you a reward to apply on your next order. This in turn will save a few pounds.
No-Rush shipping usually means it will arrive in 3-5 days. It’s worth noting that if you later cancel or change the speed of your delivery, the discount will no longer be valid.
9. Prime ‘Try Before You Buy’
Fashion lovers rejoice. Amazon have finally unveiled a new and exclusive service for Prime members when shopping for clothes and shoes online. Try Before You Buy – does exactly what it says on the tin. You order your clothing, receive it in the post and see whether it works for you before parting with the pounds.
“You get 7 days to try on the items at home and you will only be charged for the items you decide to keep,” explains Amazon. “Prime Try Before You Buy eligible items can be found in women’s, men’s, kids’ and baby clothing, shoes, bags and accessories. You can identify eligible items through the Prime Try Before You Buy badge or Prime Try Before You Buy eligibility statement on the product detail page.”
You can order up to 6 items at a time for the scheme. And as its part of your Prime membership there’s no delivery or shipping fees, and a returns label is provided for free – should you need to send them back. Visit the Try Before You Buy homepage for further details.
10. Pay with an Amazon credit card
Unsurprisingly it pays to bank with the place you spend your money at. Those who sign up for an Amazon credit card can take advantage of a special joining offer plus additional perks when they’re a fully-fledged bank account holder.
New cardholders are greeted with a £20 Amazon gift card when they open their account – a welcome reward you can put to good use. Then when you’re officially onboard you’ll be a part of the Amazon Reward Points club that gives back to those spending on site.
For every £2 spent on Amazon.co.uk, you’ll earn 1.5 Amazon Reward Points. And of course, these points mean prizes, as when you hit the big 1,000 you’ll receive a £10 Amazon gift card. You can also earn points shopping elsewhere with the card. “Per £2 spent everywhere else, you’ll earn 0.5 Amazon Reward Points,” explains the retailer.
“All out great credit card,” said one Amazon cardholder in their 5-star review. “It’s reliable and safe and I’ve never had any issues with it. The reward system is very good, far better than some other credit cards out there, and it’s great you get your reward as a voucher.”
11. Make the most of Prime Day
There’s an annual day dedicated exclusively to Amazon Prime customers. Predicted to fall in July in 2022, it’s worth holding off on any purchases around this time and making use of savings and deals expected to drop during these 24 hours.
Last year, there were HUGE offers on everything from baby toys, cookware and FitBit watches to smaller items like cosmetics, candles and confectionary. Our favourite 2021 find was a £200 saving on a Shark cordless vacuum, plus saving a third on big brand gins.
The retailer even went one step further and gave shoppers free £10 credit on Amazon Prime Day when people bought from small businesses on the site.
A photo posted by on
We’ve no doubt that Prime Day 2022 will prove just as savvy for savings. So look out for the all important date announcement and add to your diary immediately.
